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GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The 2013-14 tennis teams are ready to expand on what was a record breaking year in 2012-13. Each finished with their highest ranking in school history and the women culminated their season with a trip to the NAIA National Tournament in Mobile, Ala. With only four days before the first tennis match of the season, head coach Patrick Grashorn sat down and answered a few questions about the roster heading into the 2013-14 season.

Both teams return a bulk of their lineup from last year - how will the experience help early in the season?
It's always easier going into a season with experience. There's usually a learning curve going from the high school level to college and so for most of the lineup having that out of the way already is helpful. That being sad, the newcomers have been working hard this summer in preperation for the season as well.

Your fall season is pretty short with a couple of dual matches and it is highlighted by the ITA Regionals and a pair of other tournaments, explain what your goals are for this fall?
Our main focus is always going to be the spring season but we play a few dates in the fall in order to prepare for the ITA Regional Tournament and also for the coaches to develop a strategy for player improvement before our main conference season in the spring.

Your women's team made it to the national tournament last season and returns five of the top six players, how will you go about preparing for the spring season this fall?
The biggest challenge this fall will be to see who fits where in the lineup and for everyone to stay healthy. Even though last year was our best season to date, I see room for improvement both as a team and individually. We will focus on those issues and be ready come spring. 

The men have some big recruits coming in, how will they help the balance?
We lost our top two guys to graduation last year so it will be a challenge to regain that strength at the top of the lineup. Time will tell who develops as the best option at those spots but I can confidently say this is the deepest team we've ever had from a 10 player roster.

Your men's team features the senior brother combination of Tyler and Zac Chambers - explain what they have meant to the program.
Zac and Tyler have stepped up as leaders of the men's team. With one year to go, Tyler is already the winningest player in DU Men's Tennis history and has improved a great deal since he first started. Zac transferring here after his sophomore year created an anchor to our doubles lineup with the brothers playing together. Early on I weighed the idea of not putting them together but the history between them is too much to ignore.
 
Tennis Contact: Aaron Sagraves | 616-554-5045 | asagraves@davenport.edu
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